….As gov clears air on returning to Germany for further treatment

By Dayo Johnson & Omeiza Ajayi

MEMBERS of the Ondo State House of Assembly, yesterday, met with the Dr Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee, NWC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and announced the suspension of the impeachment process against the embattled Deputy Governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa.

Ayedatiwa had been under probe and threats of impeachment by the House of Assembly over allegations of gross misconduct.

Speaking after a closed-door meeting which lasted for about two hours at the National secretariat of the APC in Abuja, both Ganduje and the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Oladeji Olamide confirmed the development to suspend the impeachment process.

Tuesday’s meeting had in attendance members of the party’s NWC, the Aminu Bello Masari-led 9-member Reconciliation Committee, party state chairman, Ade Adetimehin and 18 of the 22 APC lawmakers led by Speaker Olamide.

Chairman of the reconciliation committee and former governor of Katsina State, Masari said: “For now, the probe and impeachment processes have been suspended to allow room for the committee to work. We met with all stakeholders, except for the governor who we are still making efforts to see.”

Admitting that the lawmakers were in Abuja at the instance of the National Chairman and the reconciliation committee, the Speaker said the lawmakers were ready to cooperate with the party.

He said: “We promised to work with the national chairman and the chairman of the reconciliation committee to find a lasting solution to the political crisis in Ondo State.

“We gave a promise that on our part, we are ready to cooperate as an arm of government with the party. At the same time, whenever they want to meet us, we will be of help to the committee. More importantly, we will allow the committee to do their work without hitches. Apart from that, we believe this is the only political solution that will be of help to resolve the crisis in Ondo State.

“I have to thank everybody in the reconciliation committee which has experienced members, several senators, House of Representatives members and even the two-term governor of Katsina, Aminu Masari who joined us.

“As the reconciliation chairman has mentioned, they didn’t meet the governor and his deputy yet, but they met all the stakeholders. That was what warranted the meeting today.

“And now, having suspended the impeachment process, they have created a conducive environment to continue dialoguing. We believe that we will reach a political solution. APC, as a political party, is an institution that is indispensable to democracy.

“Therefore, apart from our basic function for recruitment of membership, elected officers and appointed officers, it is our responsibility to see that all the ethics of democracy are followed and crisis averted in our government, both at sub-national levels and at the national level. It is a political crisis and we are a political institution. So, there is no way we can fold our arms and see that our children are fighting and we allow them to go like that.”

Akeredolu not returning for further treatment—Govt

Meanwhile, the Ondo State government, yesterday, dismissed media reports that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu would return to Germany for medical vacation describing it as a figment of the imagination of evil-minded politicians.

A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, in Akure, the state capital, said: “The report is concocted and planted by drowning politicians who are still nursing the pains of defeated expectations.

“The story making the rounds is baseless, unfounded and only a figment of the imagination of evil-minded politicians.

“We urge members of the public to dismiss this false news and not be swayed by the lies and misleading information spread by those with ulterior motives.

“Governor Akeredolu remains dedicated to serving the people of Ondo State and driving progress in our great state.”